Thursday, May 6, 2010
"Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn,
Hundreds of bees in the purple clover,
Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn,
But only one mother the wide world over." GC
It is Mother's Day weekend and what better way to tell your mom that you love her than by spending some time with her. In my yoga teaching career I have experienced many special moments with mothers to be, mothers, grandmothers and even great-grandmothers.
I recently had the pleasure of leading a "mom and babe" yoga class for a group of new moms in the county. Organized by Dawn Mole, this group of moms meets every other Friday to connect, inspire each other, share good food and listen to guest speakers. These women have spent nine months nurturing their babies through pregnancy (some of the mothers did pre-natal yoga with me) and then giving birth.
Now they are creating opportunities to regain strength and flexibility, to bond with their baby and to stay connected to other moms. The focus of "mom and babe" yoga is on movements and breathing specifically tailored for new moms. The babies benefit from the bonding time with mom, baby massages and the stimulating environment of new baby friends! Special attention is placed on developing core strength and stability; with emphasis on strengthening the back, abdomen and pelvic floor, as well as relieving tension in areas such as the neck, shoulders and back.
Stepping ahead a few years I have several mother/ teen daughter pairs that are doing regular yoga classes with me. The focus of these classes is on building strength, flexibility and balance. I often do simple partner work; helping each other stretch and giving shoulder massages to each other. It is a nice way for the moms and teen daughters to connect, relax and laugh together.
Last fall one of my adult students brought her 80+ year old mother to a qigong class. It was delightful to watch the daughter stand beside her mother who was seated in a chair - both women doing the same movements and quietly breathing together. And of course both women appreciated the little massage they gave each other at the end of the class. It is never too early or too late to find quiet ways of connecting with our Mothers...on or off the yoga mat.